Born in Sweden in 1707, Carl Linnaeus had a love of nature from the start. His father, a keen gardener, introduced him to botany and taught him that every plant had a name. Back then, plant names were long and detailed descriptions in Latin. For example, the plant we know today as Plantago media (hoary plantain) was previous called Plantago foliis ovato-lanceolatus pubescentibus, spica cylindrica, scapo terete (‘Plantain with pubescent ovate-lanceolate leaves, a cylindric spike and a terete scape’) — a mouthful even for experts!.

As Linnaeus studied plants, animals and minerals, he saw the need for a simpler, more organised system. He created a way of classifying living things using just two names — a genus (group) and a species (type within that group). This binomial system was clear, logical and reflected the spirit of Enlightenment thinking.

Daniel Solander was born in Sweden in 1733. At the University of Uppsala, where he studied languages and humanities, he met Linnaeus. Linnaeus encouraged him to study natural history. Solander later moved to England, where he worked at the British Museum cataloguing collections and promoting Linnaeus’ ideas. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1764.

In 1768, Joseph Banks invited Solander to join the scientific team on HMB Endeavour. Solander helped document plants and animals, some unknown to Europeans. He was one of the botanists who inspired the name ‘Botanists Bay’ (later Botany Bay). He collected specimens from at least eight countries and became the first university-educated person to set foot in Australia, as well as the first Swedish person to circumnavigate the globe.

Solander and Banks collected more than 30,000 plant samples, including 1,400 species not previously known to Western science. Solander contributed to Banks’ Florilegium, a collection of botanical engravings. Although he published little in his lifetime, his work left a lasting mark on science.

Joseph Banks was born in London in 1743. He developed an interest in botany while growing up in the Lincolnshire countryside. At the University of Oxford, he paid a botanist to give lectures on plants — rare at the time. Banks left Oxford without a degree but continued to study nature at places like the Chelsea Physic Garden and the British Museum, where he met Solander.

In 1768, Banks joined Captain Cook’s South Sea expedition on the Endeavour. Banks saw the scientific potential of the voyage and assembled a team of scientists and artists, including Solander. They collected plants, animals and cultural observations throughout the journey.

Banks became president of the Royal Society in 1778, serving for 41 years. The Society promoted science and encouraged voyages of discovery. Its motto, Nullius in verba (‘Take nobody’s word for it’), reflected Enlightenment ideals of seeking knowledge through experience rather than tradition.

As president, Banks organised expeditions to collect specimens from around the world. He was seen as an authority on Australian plants and people and advised the first governors of the colony.